MrSMW

I see it more as a Michael Caine voiceover and it had better “blow the bladdy doors off”. I’m thinking of a Harry Palmer/The Italian Job mash up.

Also a valid point for me because if I do end up swapping my S9 and pair of S5ii’s for an FX3 and a pair of FX30’s it will be for pure video use as it is now. I’m already with Sony for stills and having it all within one system as being able to share batteries and lenses, makes a lot of sense for me. Plus as mentioned in another topic, it would allow me to operate with 1 less body and 2 less lenses. And that is a good thing. And at very minimal cost to do so. Another very good thing!

I’m still interested! simon@firehorsephotography.co.uk if you need my email.

Not interested! All of these current and recent models can do everything I need them to do and my only interest now is how compact a total kit I can make and do so at the lowest possible cost without sacrificing anything.

The summary for me is: Decent spec in a decent enough but not exactly inspiring body but it will do, somewhat over-priced, in a competitive space in challenging times. OK, can’t do much about the latter, but could very much have done something about all of the former (other than the tech spec I personally can’t complain about). How much is a used FX3 and a pair of FX30’s going to be in 2026, because I already have all the glass?

Sticking with my pair of S5ii’s (both purchased used) and single S9. To be fair, the S1Rii and the S1ii bodies are better than the S5ii but neither have anything that makes me want to switch from what I have. 5.1k 60p open gate? Quite nice, but also not enough to warrant any changes in my lineup. Pricing not quite as bad as reported and will drop quite quickly. I get the S1ii model but the E model baffles me a bit as surely anyone who wants one will buy the S1ii but if not, the S5ii/x? As for the lens, good there is something being offered that is not an f8 shitbox of a lens, but not something I am interested in personally.

Well based on what we have seen or is imminent, it certainly looks that way, because the S1R was one of their 'pro' cameras and that has now been downgraded to what we might call 'prosumer' as in pro features in a more consumer body. Any 'S2H' would need to follow suit or stand alone as a solo flagship as the S1Rii is not going to be replaced for years and years. If ever, depending on the survival of the company. My gut instinct is it's the end of the line. Literally. If these new releases and existing stuff are good enough for your/our needs, then great, but I don't think there is anything more exciting coming in the future. It would need a radical change in; management, strategy, marketing and budget and I just don't see that happening. S9 and S5ii have been and probably will remain 'peak Lumix' for me and as I have stated many times, work very well for me and my needs, but will I still be with anything L Mount in 2026? More than likely not.

That in itself is already another notch in the belt of marketing failure. The anticipation should be buzzing not moaning. It’s called hype and it’s up to a company and their marketing department to create that. Some would argue that in this day and age, it’s influencers that create hype and to an extent that is true, but my point is, as a company, you need to get them onboard from the start and the start is A. creating a genuinely great product and then B. getting that info out there. Panasonic Lumix don’t seem to be very good at playing that game and it’s almost as if they are not even aware that the game even exists. You add in the pricing and it suggests that whoever determines these things, lives in a bubble that is not quite reality. However, if I understand the spec sheet leak, the headline is 6k 60p Open Gate? That would/will indeed be something. Not ‘something enough’ to make me buy the thing at by the sounds of it, €4000, but at least something. For €4k I’d want an FX3 style body and the next gen S1H with all of the previous build quality and like @Andrew Reid suggests, the top LCD screen just because it is cool as fuck. The business/financial decision for me is purely: A. Is it more suited for my needs than my principal run & gun unit, my S9? God no, not even close. I would prefer to have full frame 6k 60p open gate over the 30p I currently have, but the compromises I’d need to make would be overwhelming detrimental. B. For my other needs, a pair of static’s, does the new camera have any merit over a pair of new or used S5ii’s? Again, nope. Is it therefore a failure as a new release camera? Time will tell, but for me personally it is at least a missed opportunity.

It’s all just a bit, well to be blunt, a bit fucking odd, what is going on on Planet Lumix right now.

Is that correct? If so, doesn’t interest me and much prefer my 640/4000 on the S5ii etc. The new camera at least has FF 60p instead of the crop and yes, I’d like that, but then again, I really like my 6k 30p OG which I have already.

Truth bomb and for me, it was the Tamron zoom's that swung it. I'm not really a big zoom fan, but the reality is, for my work, I just need them and the lighter and more compact the better and that is exactly what they are. I think for pure stills, then the Sony. For pure video use, then the Lumix. Hybrid, I could make a case for either, but again, for me, it's when the lens question is brought into the equation and that is where it tips heavily for me back to Sony. But then why I am interested in picking up the Sony 50-150mm f2 ASAP because surely that is quite big and quite heavy? Well yes it is, but not stupidly so and if it will allow me to lose a body and a couple of lenses and gain me something else in actually having and using it, then it makes sense. Yep. Also yep. Put an A7iv plus Tamron 28-75 against it, and I suspect very little difference in price on the used market today and as above, I'd give the nod to the Lumix/Sigma as a pure video tool, but as a hybrid or pure stills, then the Sony/Tamron. I think that is what it largely comes down to here, - use case. You could chuck the Nikon Z6iii with the Tamron 28-75 also into the mix and again, I think on pure video capability, the Lumix still gets the nod (mainly if 6k open gate is your thing) but probably pushes the budget up slightly it being a bit newer. Some might include Fuji, but for me that is something a little different. Canon RF I don't think really has the glass and everything seems to be priced higher. That's about the summary of it I fear. Had the cameras been a bit more 'pro' and innovative, then an argument could be made to justify 3.5k, but in this marketplace, I wouldn't drop that kind of money on them. But still waiting to see exactly what they are when launched, but I think we already know and there will be no surprise bombshells. Sadly, because I want to see them do well.

This is possibly the single biggest thing where Lumix could score a win and something most were hoping for, if not expecting. My own expectations were an identical body, but otherwise different sensor pairing of ‘S2R’ and ‘S2H’, the latter with internal ND and the former with a larger than 45mp sensor. But we have not got either and no sign of either and realistically, I think no hope of either based on recent and imminent models. Sony are about to pop out a new FX and a new Alpha any time and though I suspect they will not be groundbreaking either, will possibly be the new benchmarks at this 2.5-4k price point. And so much for the FX style body for the new Lumix’s. I’d like to have seen that as that at least would have been something…

Welcome to The Cool Club 👍 I wanted the orange one...and then realised that was a Nikon Zf option 🤪

That was my other dealbreaker. In fact the principal one as I need to shoot a lot in low light and even with OK lighting, my previous camcorder experiences including 1" sensor, was trash. I just could not go back now.

Once I got myself past the lack of pro features including; the build, the lack of any proper weather sealing, the single card slot (couldn't care less personally about the lack of an EVF as I never use one), as a super-light and compact full frame 6k 30p Open Gate camera, it made great sense. Especially on my super-lightweight freestanding monopod. If only I had not left that at a venue 700km away last weekend... I can't remember the exact weight but it's under 1.5kg total, - that is: body, half cage, lens, Rode Micro, super stable freestanding monopod. I can use it statically within seconds, walk away from it quite confidently (unless in a crowd) and use it in gimbal mode at a turn of a pre-programmed dial. For fast paced run & gun work, it's superb and has multiple frame markers for my 'films' and for my socials. The 'pro' features aside, I can't really fault it. And if they are now under 1k, like so much Lumix stuff, I think that is where and when they make most sense. Used S1H's are now ridiculously cheap and I WOULD still shoot with that as my main if they'd just update the firmware to allow me to burn in a LUT.